Japanese Spicy Tan Tan Ramen (Easy Tantanmen Ramen)

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You’ll love this spicy tan tan ramen recipe with a creamy sesame broth, seasoned ground pork and ramen noodles. It’s ready in just 30 minutes and can easily be made ahead for quick weeknight dinners!

You guys, this spicy ground pork ramen is my latest obsession! The pork is spicy, the noodles are chewy and the broth is perfectly creamy from the oat milk and tahini.

Tan tan ramen is lightly based on the Chinese dan dan noodles, a stir fry dish made from spicy Sichuan ground pork and noodles. Chinese dan dan noodles do not include broth, while this tantanmen recipe has a creamy broth.

**This mapo tofu has very similar flavor to this dish

This Japanese spicy ramen is soooo easy to make. It's as simple as making the sauce base stir frying the pork with seasonings, and adding it all to a ramen broth served over top of noodles. Don't let it intimidate you!

Jump to:

• What is tan tan ramen?
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Experts tips
• Frequently Asked questions
• Storage and Reheating Instructions
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

To be honest, I’m obsessed with all the ramen recipes I’ve shared with you guys! They all offer something different but are equally delicious. Here are some of the site favorites:

• Shio ramen
• Shoyu ramen
• Korean ramen
• Birria ramen
• Vegetarian ramen
• Duck ramen
• Instant Pot ramen (tonkotsu ramen)
• Miso ramen

What is tan tan ramen?

Tan Tan Ramen (or Tantanmen) is a dairy-free Japanese spicy soup that’s inspired by Dan Dan Noodles, which is a Chinese Sichuan dish. They’re usually both made with sesame paste, ground pork and noodles, but tan tan ramen is more of a soup than a noodle dish.

Why this recipe works

1. While it’s spicy from the spicy bean paste and chili oil, the heat of the broth is tamed a bit by the addition of oat milk and tahini.
2. The ground pork and broth come together quickly, so you can have these tan tan noodles ready in just 30 minutes! 
3. The broth is more flavorful the next day, so this ramen is perfect to make ahead. Just cook the pork and broth in advance, and prepare the noodles when you’re ready to eat!

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients and quantities, check out the recipe card at the end of this post. 

You’ll need 8 ounces of ground pork for this recipe. In a pinch, you can also substitute ground beef, chicken or turkey - any kind of ground meat can work. Making this a ground chicken ramen comes out very tasty!!

The pork is cooked with ginger before the other ingredients are added. If you can’t find fresh ginger for grating, you can use ginger paste.

The base of the ramen broth includes 4 cups of chicken stock. You can use store-bought or homemade like this crockpot chicken broth or this Instant Pot chicken bone broth. I prefer low sodium options so I can control the amount of salt added to the ramen. You can also substitute pork broth.

For a spicy kick to the pork, the recipe includes 2 tablespoons of spicy bean paste. This is a fermented bean paste usually made from soybeans, broad beans and red chili peppers. It can also be called Doubanjiang.

One tablespoon of chili oil also helps add a little heat to the broth.

While some tan tan ramen recipes call for sesame paste (which is made from toasted sesame seeds), we’re using tahini in this recipe (which is made from untoasted sesame seeds). Tahini adds a creamy texture and a slightly nutty flavor to this ramen. You can also use peanut butter in a pinch!

The broth also includes 2 tablespoons of mirin, which is a sweet Japanese rice wine. If you can’t find any, you can substitute dry sherry. Rice vinegar is used to provide a touch of acidity to help balance the broth.

For additional seasoning, 2 teaspoons of dashi are added to the broth. This is a Japanese soup stock that is usually made from dried kelp, bonito flakes, and/or anchovies.

To tame the spiciness and add creaminess to the broth, you’ll need 2 cups of unsweetened oat milk. You can substitute unsweetened soy milk or cashew milk, just make sure the milk you use is unsweetened.

For the ramen noodles, I used 8 ounces of dried ramen noodles (cooked to package instructions) but you can also use fresh ramen noodles or even instant ramen noodles, if you prefer. 

Check out these 50+ ramen toppings!

Step by step instructions

Cook the pork in a skillet with the ginger, breaking it up into small pieces while cooking.

When just a little pink remains, add the spicy bean paste and cook through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients (except oat milk, noodles and garnishes) in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the oat milk, being careful not to boil so it doesn't curdle.

Remove from heat and serve over noodles with ground pork, chopped scallions and ramen eggs (optional).

Drizzle a tiny bit of sesame oil over the top for some extra sesame flavor and a sprinkle of toasted crushed sichuan pepper for some tongue tingling heat (both optional)!

Experts tips

1. You can substitute brown sugar or palm sugar for coconut sugar.
2. For a slightly different flavor, try replacing the tahini with toasted sesame paste.
3. If you don’t have ground pork, you can use ground beef, chicken or turkey. You can also use ground tofu or other meatless options to keep this recipe vegan.
4. If you have leftovers, store the noodles separately. If you store them in the broth, they will soak up the broth and get mushy.
5. Use unflavored and unsweetened milk in the broth. While I used oat milk, you can also use soy, cashew or almond milk.
6. Be careful not to let the broth come to a boil as the milk in the broth may curdle.
7. To control the saltiness of your ramen, I suggest using homemade or low sodium chicken broth. You can also use pork broth or vegetable broth to make this vegetarian/vegan.
8. You can adjust the spice level of the broth by using more or less chili oil and bean paste.
9. Add some baby bok choy or other leafy greens to the broth while cooking for an added vegetable.
10. Drizzle a tiny bit of sesame oil over the top for some extra sesame flavor.

Frequently Asked questions

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the noodles and broth/pork separately for the best results. If you store the noodles in the broth, they will soak up the liquid.

Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

To make in advance, you can cook the ground pork and broth according to the recipe and store them separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to enjoy, cook your noodles and reheat the ground pork and broth to serve over the noodles. 

You can cook the pork in advance and freeze it, but I don’t recommend freezing the broth. The oat milk in the broth may cause the broth to separate once it defrosts. I also don’t recommend freezing cooked noodles as they may get mushy once defrosted and reheated. 

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